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They both held up their IDs. ‘It’s okay, we’re the police.’
‘Not sure that makes you any better to be honest. You ain’t all clean.’
Kim was saddened by his view but couldn’t argue against it. Every cart had bad apples, and the police force was no exception.
‘Sir, we think—’
‘Donald,’ he said, opening up his frame and taking a seat. ‘Don to such a pretty lady as yourself, and the last name is Beattie, but you ain’t getting my bank details. I only give them out to the Nigerian princes that email me about my inheritance.’
‘Don, you don’t really—’
‘Oh, that one always gets folks going,’ he said with a sparkle in his eye. ‘Age Concern keep us updated on the latest scams, which is a shame cos I wouldn’t mind the eighty million pounds the one guy was promising me.’
Kim was beginning to learn that Don was quite the handful, but he’d already answered what would have been her next question.
‘So you do have internet access?’
‘Yeah, my daughter insisted on getting the interweb fitted. Came cheap with some telly channels or something. To be honest, I reckon she only wanted it in there to check I wasn’t inviting ladies round after her mum died. Said something about having different programmes to watch, but I think it’s a ruse for her to spy on me.’ He lowered his voice. ‘And I think I’ve got her sussed. Sometimes the green light on the machine flashes and that’s when she’s watching me from up in York. But she ain’t gonna catch me doing anything with ladies in my house.’ He paused. ‘I always go to theirs.’
He roared with laughter, and Kim couldn’t help but laugh with him. It was the first genuine smile she’d had all day.
‘Talking about your interweb, has anyone asked you for any numbers?’
‘What kind of numbers and where are they?’ he asked.
That was a solid no then.
‘And you’ve had no overnight guests or visitors?’
He eyed her suspiciously. ‘You sure my daughter didn’t send you?’
She smiled. ‘Don’t know your daughter, Don. Just need to make sure your interweb hasn’t been tampered with.’
He shook his head. ‘Ain’t nobody touched it. My daughter would have my guts for garters if I did anything to it. I was hoping the fecker the other week had taken it, but—’
‘What’s that now, Don?’ Kim asked.
‘I was broken into last month. Weirdest thing. Burglar didn’t take a thing. I was at the old folk’s tea dance. I only really knew cos my lock was a bit messed up. Must have realised I didn’t have much to take.’
Or he got exactly what he came for, Kim thought.
‘What did the police say?’ Bryant asked.
‘Well, they said that due to the severity of the incident, they were putting all their best people on it. Not sure what they were going to charge him with, but perhaps they were gonna make him apologise.’
‘You don’t seem very bothered by it,’ Kim observed.
‘I wasn’t hurt, I wasn’t even home, and nothing was taken. My daughter got a bit worked up about it, but I’ve been dining out on the story for weeks, especially with the ladies.’
The devilish wink he gave her made her think he must be the life and soul of the club he frequented.
Kim had the brief thought that if she’d ever had a granddad, she would have liked him to be like Don.
‘And has there been anything else to cause you—’
She stopped speaking as her phone rang.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name.
